After the Trial
by Inder
Summary: After Sunry's trial on Manaan, a FLS Revan named Alrin experiences deep inner turmoil over her part in Sunry's death as Revan tries to surface.


Note: I own nothing here, but the name Alrin Kelar. The rest belongs to those responsible for Star Wars.

It was less than twenty minutes after Sunry's trial. Alrin, Carth, and Jolee stood side by side in front of Sunry's prison cell. The final calibrations were being made on the execution system, to make the kill clean. Alrin was swaying slightly as she looked on, her eyes glazed as she attempted to detach herself from what was about to happen. It was almost impossible, though. _Damn the Selkath!_ She thought fervrently, _Damn them all!_ They had insisted that she and her companions be present for the execution after they had 'so perfectly solved the murder case'. She had politely denied their invitation twice before the Minister of the city had been called down and had explained that it was a sacred tradition that the person that figured out a murder was present for the execution.

The wet fish-voice of the Selkath exectioner broke her concentration, "System is primed, awaiting signal." The Minister had also explained that it would be her honor to give the order for the electricity to be turned on.

It took all of Alrin's control and a considerable amount of the Force for her to utter the two words while keeping her voice steady.

"System, go."

The electricity that ripped through the cage coursed into Sunry's body forcing it to contort gruesomely before crashing to the floor, still spasming from the blue-yellow bolts that flickered over the charred skin. The high Minister congratulated her on a good job of finding the truth in the murder and they were released from the execution chamber.

Carth was worried, on the way back to the ship Alrin said nothing and walked with a stiff back the whole way. Mission had greeted her as she came up the ramp of the ship and she had not responded, instead she walked up the ramp like HK when he needed a good oiling.

He had not seen her for several hours as she had disappeared into the women's quarters after returning to the ship and neither Juhani nor Mission would get near the door to the room. Suddenly Jolee entered the cockpit and laid his had on Carth's shoulder, breaking thoughts. The old man's soft voice cut across the stillness, "Carth, she needs someone. In the women's 'fresher."

Blinking, Carth rose and walked silently to the women's quarters. He paused for a moment and continued on to the door to the 'fresher. Silently bypassing the lock on the door, he found Alrin crouched over the toilet panting heavily. There was a strong smell of acid in the air and a pallor to Alrin's skin.

He knelt down beside her even as she was emptying the contents of her stomach into the bowl once again. Alrin swallowed hard and looked at him, smiling weakly but was suddenly over come by the need to disgorge once again.

It went on that way for the better part of an hour, Alrin crouched over the toilet, vomiting and Carth patiently holding back her hair and rubbing her back. Eventually, when she had nothing left in her she sat back and wiped her mouth off on a tissue. Carth sat back against the edge of the tub and laid his legs out in front of him, still silent. Alrin leaned away from the toilet and breathed deeply.

Moving quietly, she crept over to Carth and curled up against his chest in the fetal position. Almost inaudibly she whispered, "I killed him." Carth rubbed her back and tried to think of what to say.

"You killed those Mandalorians on Dantooine, they were murderers."

She sniffled and looked up at him, "They were different, the rest of the people I've killed were different. It was kill or be killed. This… This felt like something Revan would do, something she would enjoy… And Carth, there was just the teeniest bit of me that was; that enjoyed watching his wife's and Jolee's pain, his death. Carth, as we get closer and closer to the Star Forge Revan is waking up, trying to gain influence. I don't know how long Alrin will last. It scares me."

He rested his chin on the top of her head. "Oh, Alrin, it scares me too. I couldn't imagine what I would do if Revan came back."

Alrin's voice grew hard, "Carth, if that happens, I want you to try and bring me back. If that doesn't work… I want you to kill me. I want you to promise me that you won't let me hurt anyone else." He was quiet for a very long while.

Eventually he spoke, "You know, once when I was just enlisted in the Navy, an older soldier and his buddies decided to haze me. They said that new recruits had to pay a tithe of their credits to the vets for protection. After three months I realized that no one else was paying so I figured that I was being hazed. I stopped paying.

"It turns out, that the man I had been paying had used the last bunch of my credits to smuggle some Tarisian ale onto the ship. When the first of the next month rolled around, and my credits didn't come to him, he got angry. And drunk. He cornered me in a deserted hallway and lit onto me. Eventually, the punches and kicks stopped hurting and I began drifting away. All I wanted to do was to see Telos again.

"Two hours later, the ship's commander found me laying in a pool of blood with the left side of my face caved in, a shattered arm, and three broken ribs." He closed his eyes trying to remember, "The next week is a haze for me. I woke up twice. Once when they set me on the bed in the infirmary and a second time when I awoke to find you standing over me."

Alrin shifted again and looked inquisitively into his face. Carth nodded and went on, "I believe Revan was 16 then. She had been brought aboard the ship specifically to heal me. You were their most promising healer and I was a promising young soldier. We never actually got to meet. Once your master said that I was on the mend, you and he re-boarded your cruiser and headed back to your training.

"A week later, I was healthy enough for questioning and the commander himself asked the questions. I was asked what exactly had happened, who had attacked me, if I had done anything to provoke the fight, and if there were any witnesses. Confused by their questions I asked why they didn't just go check the security feeds. Apparently there was no evidence of the beating in any of the security tapes.

"I offered to find the feed and show it to them, only if I could be allowed access to the main computer. After a little time, I had found the files and had shown them to the commander. I did not realize it, but it turns out that the moment I had shown the feed to the commander I had killed my attacker. He was found, court-marshaled, and executed with in the week. I did not want him dead. I just wanted him to leave me alone.

"I know a little of how you feel, Alrin, though I cannot know what it feels like to have a buried past, especially one so sad."

"Sad? But Carth she was-"

Carth cut her off, "Alrin, Revan wasn't born evil. She didn't become evil until she found the map to the Star Forge and began to travel with Malak. For goodness' sake, Alrin! You were a healer! In fact they told me that you had volunteered for the job." He put his arm around her and pulled her closer, like one would do with a young child. "Actually," he said in a confiding tone, "You did such a good job, that one could barely see the scars on my arm and chin from the compound fractures."

Alrin sniffed, "Really?"

"Yeah," he replied and pulled away from her to show her faint jagged lines on his arm. "Personally," he continued, "I think that it was something Malak did that turned you."

Alrin curled up against Carth's side, smiling and murmured, "Thank you, Carth." He squeezed her tight and smiled at the faint sounds of snoring that issued from her.

It always amazed him how fast Jedi could fall asleep.

Thanks for reading! Sorry about the end there. Writer's block, you know? I'm hoping to make this a complete story, but I've lost the manuscript for the beginning. I'll finish this eventually.

Review if you want, no flames, _please._


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